Friday, 18 September 2015

Book Review: The Power of Yoga - Yamini Muthanna Dancer and Student of BNS Iyengar for over 20 years.

I was recently sent this book, The Power of Yoga by Yamini Muthanna, one of BNS Iyengar's students ( the 'other' Iyengar, also a student of Krishnamacharya for a time as well as of Pattabhi Jois, still teaching in Mysore http://bnsiyengar.net/) it's beautifully produced, a lot going on inside, it was recommended to me by a reader of my blog, we'll take a closer look below.

But first, Yamini is also a Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher , here she is in a performance that the Youtube intro says includes some Ashtanga asana.

A LOOK INSIDE a book then, first the contents page

Yamini Muthanna studied with BNS Iyengar for over twenty years, he kindly writes the forward.

Here's the introduction to how to use the book.

There is page reflecting on the koshas

The challenge for me with the book is that the sequences appear to be tied closely to the idea of chakras, asana are chosen that are thought to overcome the malfunction of one or more particular chakras causing the problematic condition. For Yamini, chakra are inseparable from the study of Ayurveda and thus her approach to these sequences.

"For the sequencing patterns I have used the approach of Ayurveda to understand the chemical required for therapy to a particular problem. Accordingly practiced and researched on the asanas which targets the organ which produces the chemical and set up the sequence".

If you're unconvinced by the chakra model or the evidence suggesting one asana will affect a chakra then you may take issue with the central premise of the book. Yamini does also relate chakra to western medicine and the glandular systems.

EG. "Manipura is believed to correspond to the cells of the pancreas, as well as the outer adrenal glands".

Yamini presents a basic 'routine at the beginning of the book made of a pre and finishing sequence, the picture below is part of the pre sequence. In a sense this is similar to having the Sury's and something not unlike the standing sequence along with the finishing sequence from Ashtanga. The individual sequences for particular conditions and states that Yamini presents throughout the main section of the book will then slot in between with some modifications to the standing and finishing sequence indicated by a chart at the frount of each sequence. Sounds complicated but it's actually quite strait forward and well laid out, I'll go through an example sequence later.

A large section at the back of the book goes through each asana, below we see Yamini's treatment of Sirsasana

A very interesting section on precautions and common injuries.

EXAMPLE SEQUENCE FOR HELPING COPE WITH DEPRESSION

Lets take a closer look at an example, the sequence for depression I practiced earlier....

Yamini relates depression to malfunctioning of Manipura chakra ( note how she writes "Manipura is believed to correspond to the cells of the pancreas, as well as the outer adrenal glands". )

Each sequence has a warm up ( Yamini is a dancer remember) and different pranayama suggestions, here are the pranayama guidelines for this sequence

And a closer look at one of the asana from the sequence, Ushtrasana

It's a beautifully produced book, basing the sequences on the Chakra model may be a sticking point for some, it will either excite you or turn you off somewhat. I found it interesting, I'm still not sold on the chakra model but those old yogi's were great experimenters. Noticing what was going on in different areas of their bodies during pranayama and meditation as well as long stays in different asana the yogis would have been exploring sensations that arose. But even if chakras are not your thing then you may be reassured by the 100 pages on individual asana with tips and guidelines as well as the section on pranayama ( remember Yamini studied with BNS Iyengar for twenty years) There are also the nice sections on mudras bandhas and the precautions and common injuries section at the back.

Try out some of the sequences and chakras or not you might find them enjoyable and interesting to practice as well as giving thoughts to how you might approach presenting asana to your own students.

EDITORIAL DESCRIPTION

Description About the Book "The Power of Yoga explores the profound nature of yoga by demystifying ancient Sanskrit texts on the subject and a plethora of philosophies governing its practice, and making them relevant to present times. While Patanjali's Yoga Sutras provide us the roadmap to understand the way of this science, the 21 Yoga Sequences for modern lifestyle-related disorders elaborated upon in this book make it a valuable aid for the modern-day practitioner, more so since it is presented in simple language without diluting the authenticity of the techniques. Structured primarily as a Sequence Manual, this book offers customised yoga routines to help people cope better with their day-to-day demanding schedules. The sequences are also categorised and visually depicted for a better understanding. Ultimately, The Power of Yoga seeks to enlighten the readers on the deeper significance of yoga by encouraging them to further explore it as a timetested and an established science. About the Author Having studied Ashtanga Yoga with Mysore-based B.N.S. Iyengar for over 22 years, Yamini Muthanna runs Yogasthala, a yoga school in Bengaluru where people from all walks of life and across the globe - architects, entrepreneurs, artists, techies, CEOs, housewives, students and doctors among others - learn Ashtanga Yoga. Yamini has conducted workshops at yoga studios in London, New York, Washington DC and Los Angeles. A purist, she uses yoga techniques handed down by the ancient masters. She has been successful in interpreting theYoga Sutras to make them accessible to the common people. She has, for instance, mapped out specific yoga sequences to tackle several modern-day stress related situations - preparing for an important meeting, speech or presentation at work, overcoming addictions, conquering social anxiety, anger, insomnia and much more.

A Reminder

from Kalama sutra, translation from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi This blog included.

"So, as I said, Kalamas: 'Don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, "This contemplative is our teacher." When you know for yourselves that, "These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering" — then you should abandon them.' Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said.

"Now, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness' — then you should enter & remain in them. Buddha - Kalama Sutta